I really try not to get worked up about things like this. Personal feelings are often best left out of business, but this is one of the first times when my personal feelings have clashed with a vertical within my industry, and I really feel like I need to blog about this.
Avram Grant is the manager of Chelsea FC, who played Manchester United last night during the Champions League final. Paddy Power are a betting company in Ireland, and like most other businesses who can't get past Google's rules on gambling, do a lot of e-mail marketing. The screengrab above is taken from their e-shot yesterday, and shows a photo of Grant under the title "Final Solution". At best, it's extremely tasteless and ignorant. Why post a photo of Grant, who has been the target of anti-Semitic attacks in the past, under a title which harkens back to Hitler's catchphrase about the systematic and complete destruction of the Jewish people?
Whatever your opinion about Grant and his coaching abilities (or personal feelings about Chelsea, I couldn't care less - I've never followed the football), it's definitely not okay to post photos about Avram Grant under Nazi-coined phrases.
Shame on you, Paddy Power. I'd encourage you to e-mail them and express your disgust about their choice of e-shots, too.
